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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. lie — to recline
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. ball — a dance
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — obliged
  15. wind — moving air
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. hand — help
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. perch — the fish
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. hand — in cards
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wind — moving air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com